The present invention relates generally to devices for promoting dental hygiene, and relates more particularly to a dual action tongue scraper for cleansing food debris, volatile sulfur compounds, dead cells, microflora and other microorganisms from the tongue. The dual action tongue scraper is configured to provide either a hard scrape or a soft scrape, as desired.
The human tongue is slightly furry in texture and has numerous protuberances, e.g., papillae, which convey to the brain the senses of taste and touch. Consequently, the tongue can easily become a breeding ground for microorganisms such as bacteria, as well as a repository for food debris, volatile sulfur compounds (which are a major cause of halitosis) and dead cells. Over time, some of the collected material becomes a soft plaque which is another cause of bad breath. This soft plaque is known to attack the teeth and gums. Tests have shown that daily scraping to reduce the amount of coating on the tongue eliminates much of the undesirable bacteria and sulfur compounds, thus significantly inhibiting plaque formation on the teeth in the long term, and substantially reducing halitosis in the short term.
A wide variety of tongue scrapers are known in the dental hygiene arts. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,435 to Artelli discloses a tongue scraper with a metal blade-like member having an end portion formed to fit between wooden handle parts. A rigid blade-like portion extends forwardly of the handle at the other end in a curve which is configured either for a right-handed person or for a left-handed person.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,964 to Castanedo discloses a one-piece tongue scraper which includes an elongated handle at one end with longitudinally diverging arms at the other end. The ends of the arms are connected by a longitudinally bowed cross bar having a laterally centered, arched portion and beveled edge faces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,455,704 to Williams discloses a tongue cleaner in combination with a toothbrush. The tongue cleaner is an arcuate scraper member which is centrally secured to the tooth brush handle at the end opposite the brush.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,475 to Kuber discloses a disposable tongue scraper which is intended to be used only once. The normally planar scraper is formed of a flexible, resilient material and includes opposed outer portions having smooth generally parallel edges. Each outer portion terminates in a rounded free end portion. An elongated central portion having a serrated edge is disposed between the two outer portions. Holding one end portion firmly in each hand and bending the scraper into a U-shape, the user contacts the extended tongue with the serrated edge and then scrapes gently from back to front to remove accumulated coating material.
It is believed that many users would prefer a choice of different scraping capabilities. Some users may prefer a more effective scrape, even though the more effective scrape is harsher. Other users may prefer a less harsh, though less effective, scrape. Thus, it is desirable to provide a tongue scraper which allows users to easily choose the type, i.e., hard or soft, of scrape to be performed therewith.
In a first aspect of the invention there is provided a dual action tongue scraper comprised of a strip of flexible material including two opposed generally planar end portions, and a generally planar central portion disposed between the two end portions. The strip of flexible material also includes two edges thereof. Each edge of the strip of flexible material extends along the generally planar central portion between the two end portions.
The dual action tongue scraper is configured to provide a comparatively hard scrape when the tongue scraper is bent one way, such that the tongue contacts a hard scraping surface which extends along one edge thereof; and is configured to provide a comparatively soft scrape when the tongue scraper is bent another way, such that the tongue contacts a soft scraping surface which extends along either the same or a different edge thereof. The hard scrape is generally more effective at removing the undesirable coating from the tongue, but the hard scrape may be too harsh for some people.
When formed upon a common edge, the hard scraping surface and the soft scraping surface are separated by a generally flat portion of the common edge, so as to facilitate scraping of the tongue with only the desired one of the hard scraping surface and the soft scraping surface.
In cross section, the hard scraping surface preferably comprises an orthogonal corner (having an angle of approximately 90 degrees) and the soft scraping surface preferably comprises an obtuse corner (having an angle which is substantially greater than 90 degrees). More particularly, the soft scraping surface preferably comprises an obtuse corner having an angle of approximately 108 degrees.
Alternatively, the soft scraping surface comprises a substantially round corner. The round corner preferably has a radius of between approximately 0.005 inch and approximately 0.030 inch, preferably approximately 0.010 inch.
One or both of the two edges may comprise a hard scraping surface and/or a soft scraping surface, as desired.
Each of the two edges may either be configured as a smooth edge or a serrated edge, as desired. Further, each of the two edges may comprise either a substantially straight edge or a convex edge, as desired.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cserrationxe2x80x9d is defined to include any crenellation, tooth, appendage, protuberance or any other projection, whether regular or irregular, a plurality of which extend in a generally spaced apart fashion from an edge of the tongue scraper to enhance scraping of the tongue.
According to an alternative aspect of the present invention, the hard scraping surface comprises a protrusion extending from at least one edge of the strip of flexible material. The protrusion preferably has a length of between approximately 0.004 inch and approximately 0.012 inch, preferably approximately 0.008 inch, and preferably has an average thickness of between approximately 0.0005 inch and approximately 0.005 inch, preferably approximately 0.001 inch.
Such protrusions are preferably formed during injection molding of the tongue scraper. The protrusions may be formed either by defining the protrusions as part of the mold cavity, or alternatively, by causing the protrusions to be defined by controlled flashing. Controlled flashing may be formed by machining the mating mold sections to a desired degree of flatness, such as 0.001 inch for example, and then injecting polymer into the mold cavity at a pressure which results in the desired degree of flashing, such as 15,000 psi for example. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various other combinations of mold mating surface flatness and injection molding pressure are likewise suitable for providing a desired amount of flashing. Generally, providing flatter mating surfaces of the mold sections will require a higher injection pressure and providing less flat surfaces of the mold sections will require a lower injection pressure, in order to form a given controlled amount of flashing.
As those skilled in the art will appreciate, various other methods, e.g., machining, etching, grinding, etc., are likewise suitable for forming a protrusion upon a desired edge of the tongue scraper.
The hard scraping surface, whether an orthogonal corner or a protrusion, and the soft scraping surface, whether an obtuse corner or a round corner, each extend generally along the length of the central portion of the tongue scraper, and thus extend generally from one end portion to the other end portion.
According to the present invention, a person""s tongue is scraped by grasping the flexible strip with one hand at each of two ends of the flexible strip and bending the flexible strip into a generally U-shaped configuration such that either the hard scraping surface or the soft scraping surface is along the inside portion of the U-shaped flexible strip. The tongue is then scraped with the inside portion of the U-shaped flexible strip.
Thus, by bending the flexible strip so as to position the hard scraping surface along the inside of the U-shaped flexible strip, a hard scrape is provided. Conversely, by bending the flexible strip so as to position the soft scraping surface along the inside of the U-shaped flexible strip, a soft scrape is provided. In this manner, the person may easily obtain either a hard scrape or a soft scrape, as desired.
Alternatively, scraping may be performed without bending the flexible strip. If desired, the flexible strip may be held at each end thereof, such that the flexible strip remains substantially straight. The desire one of the hard scraping surface and the soft scraping surface is then used to effect scraping.
As mentioned above, the central portion is optionally bounded longitudinally by a convexly arcuate edge and a generally linear edge. A multiplicity of optional serrations on the convex edge may be used to scrape planar areas of the tongue upper surface. The convex and linear edges may alternatively both have a smooth surface. In one configuration of the invention, a hole in each end portion allows the user to firmly grip the end portions between thumb and finger.
In another aspect, the invention provides a tongue scraper fabricated from a resilient material and including opposed generally planar end portions each end portion preferably terminating in a generally elliptical arcuate edge and extending proximally in a neck having arcuate edges tapering to a predetermined width. The edges each have a plurality of serrations. The tongue scraper further includes a generally planar central portion disposed symmetrically between and contiguous to the tapered neck of each end portion. The central portion is determined longitudinally by a convexly arcuate edge having a multiplicity of serrations, and a generally linear edge similarly having a multiplicity of serrations.
In yet another aspect, the invention provides a tongue scraper fabricated from a resilient material and including opposed generally planar end portions each terminating in a generally elliptical arcuate edge and extending proximally in a neck having arcuate edges tapering to a predetermined width. The edges each have a smooth surface. The tongue scraper further includes a generally planar central portion disposed symmetrically between and contiguous to the tapered neck of each end portion. The central portion is determined longitudinally by a convexly arcuate edge having a smooth surface, and a generally linear edge having a smooth surface.